Why Some of the World’s Richest Nations have the Weakest Passports?

The strength of a country’s economy and its passport are not always the same. For example, China may be amongst the top 5 economies in the world but its citizens cannot enter too many other countries without a visa. On the other hand, citizens of Seychelles, which is a relatively small country, have visa-free access to over 130 other countries.

Source: ATLAS

World’s Weakest Passports – What determines the value of A Passport?

One of the most common reasons many people change their citizenship or opt for dual citizenship is because of the country’s passport. A passport serves many purposes. It acts as an identification document and proof of age, citizenship, etc. To travel internationally a passport is a must have.

Depending on the country where a passport was issued and the country you would like to visit, you may or may not need to apply for a visa beforehand. For example, Indian citizens traveling on an Indian passport do not need to apply for a visa to visit Bhutan but will need a visa to travel to Canada. The number of countries a passport allows the holder to travel to without a visa determines the value of the passport. You can tell if it is amongest the weakest passports or powerful ones.

Countries with the Highest Travel Freedom Scores

Rank

Country

Score

1

Germany

0.99

2

Japan

99.4

2

Sweden

99.4

4

Singapore

99.3

5

Norway

99

6

Spain

98.9

6

Italy

98.9

6

Denmark

98.9

9

Finland

98.4

9

Ireland

98.4

The Most Powerful and Weakest Passports in the World

Singaporeans hold the most powerful passports in the world. A Singaporean passport enables the holder to travel visa-free to 164 other countries. This includes Canada, China, USA, UK and the European Union. However, as per the GDP ranking by the International Monetary Fund in 2017, Singapore stood at the 37th rank. Afghanistan has one of the weakest passports which allows its citizens to travel to only 25 other countries without a visa.

How to Determine the Weakest Passports – GDP Ranking

The United States of America is said to be the strongest economy in the world. In terms of its passport value, it stands at the 5th position with visa-free access to 160 other countries. China stands 3rd in terms of GDP and 66th in terms of passport value.

A Chinese citizen can travel to only 66 other countries without a pre-approved visa. At the other end of the spectrum, the Vatican City stands at the 191st position with refers to its GDP according to the International Monetary Fund in 2017 but has a passport power rank of 26. The citizens of the Vatican city can travel to 134 countries without pre-approved visas.

The Weakest Passports and Settlement Freedom

A person may wish to travel to another country to visit it as a tourist or to work there. The latter can be termed as settlement freedom. French passport holders enjoy the most settlement freedom as they can live and work most easily in other countries. Canadians can live and work in only 2 other countries. Citizens of countries like China, Pakistan, and Vietnam cannot work in any country other than their own while holding a passport from their home country.

Countries with the Highest Settlement Freedom Scores

Rank

Country

Score (%)

1

France

100

2

Netherlands

96

4

Iceland

93.6

4

Finland

93.6

5

Sweden

93.5

5

Denmark

93.5

5

Norway

93.5

8

Italy

91.5

9

Estonia

89.5

9

Latvia

89.5

Large Countries with a Settlement Freedom Score of Zero

China

Vietnam

Philippines

Pakistan

Ethiopia

Congo (Democratic Republic)

Indonesia

Kenya

North Korea

Bangladesh

The Value of an Indian Passport

India is considered to be amongst the top 10 economies in the world. According to the GDP ranking by the International Monetary Fund in 2017, the Indian economy stood 6th. In terms of its passport value, India stands at the 74thrank. An Indian passport allows visa-free travel to 58 other countries. This includes Nepal, Bhutan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Thailand, Mauritius, Kenya, and Jamaica.